The Thought For Today

"Figure this stuff is safe to drink? Huh? Actually I don't care if it's safe or not, I drink it anyway. You know why? Cause I'm an American and I expect a little cancer in my food and water." - George Carlin

The Thought For Today

"That is the saving grace of humor, if you fail no one is laughing at you." - A. Whitney Brown

About Pocket Kite

About Pocket Kite


To paraphrase Robin Williams: Oh look! It's just like a man's kite, but smaller. And now, according to an Email they just sent me, can be found at Toys "R" Us.

(Hint, hint - what to say to a Flasher.)

POOR DEANO!

Now for a Little Walk on the Darkside

There are a few good links around for those of you who want to take a little walk on the darkside. For one, a lovely Cthulhu blog called Lolthulhu, offering up a lot of nuttiness and some terrific art.

The Thought For Today

"All I need to make a comedy is a park, a policeman and a pretty girl." - Charlie Chaplin

noadi on Etsy - Noadi's Art on Etsy, Polymer Clay Jewelry & Sculpture

noadi on Etsy - Noadi's Art on Etsy, Polymer Clay Jewelry & Sculpture


If you like earrings and necklaces of things with too many arms/legs, this is the Site for you.

The Thought For Today

"I busted a mirror and got seven years bad luck, but my lawyer thinks he can get me five." - Steven Wright

Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning :: Watch the Sci-Fi Parody film online : Download the Star Wreck Movie or get it on DVD!

Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning :: Watch the Sci-Fi Parody film online : Download the Star Wreck Movie or get it on DVD!

"Star Wreck is a feature-length science fiction parody made in Finland. The film took seven years to make, but in the end we had a film with amazing special effects, action and lots of dark humor. Go and download the movie, it's free. If you like the film, you can also get it on DVD." It's been downloaded over 8 million times (including by me) and is kickass funny: WATCH IT! And don't forget to check out Iron Sky while you're there.

The Thought For Today

"A lot of fellows nowadays have a B.A., M.D., or PH.D. Unfortunately, they don't have a J.O.B." - Fats Domino

Amazon.com: Absolutely MAD Magazine - 50+ Years: Software

Amazon.com: Absolutely MAD Magazine - 50+ Years: Software

Know any Mad Magazine fans? THIS is the gift to give them. Over 50 years (with extras) on DVD. We are talking HOURS of enjoyment here. And the price isn't too painful.

POOR DEANO!

Sad, Sweet "West Coast"

And now for something completely different -- from me, at any rate -- a music video! This is a little song that is apparently very popular in New York right now because of all the bi coastal relationships between the Big Apple and La La Land. I can't say I think the video is much but the song is nice. Are there any of us out there who haven't had a long distance relationship and can't relate this song?

The Thought For Today

"When a woman marries again it is because she detested her first husband. When a man marries again it is because he adored his first wife. Women try their luck; men risk theirs." - Oscar Wilde

True Companion

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

POOR DEANO!

Shiny Balls of Mud

Apparently kids in Japan have a strange past time. We made mud pies, they make ... mud art. You, too, can make hikaru dorodango by following these simple directions. Let me know how well you do, heh heh heh.

The Thought For Today

"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. " - Abraham Lincoln

The Thought For Today

"Humor is just another defense against the universe." - Mel Brooks

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NASA!

For the Benefit of All

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA

The Thought For Today

"If you make it plain you like people, it's hard for them to resist liking you back." - Lois McMaster Bujold

POOR DEANO!

The Thought For Today

"Yet each man kills the thing he loves, from all let this be heard. Some does it with a bitter look, some with a flattering word. The coward does it with a kiss the brave man with the sword." - Oscar Wilde

The Thought For Today

Lady: "Are you really a man?"

WC: "Well, I've been called other things." - W.C.Fields

Make Your Own Cool Summertime Drinks

Make your own Frappuccino, Iced Mocha, Jamba Juice, Slurpee and Thai Iced Tea at home.

And here's a Link to a recipe for Harry Potter's Butterbeer. Enjoy.

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20100630/D9GLR9TG1.html

The Thought For Today

"Just between you and me, I think "everything" bagels are making a lot of promises they can’t keep." - Kevin Tor

The Thought For Today

"Washington etiquette was of little importance to Woodrow Wilson. According to tradition, a president...walked ahead of his companions...But Wilson refused to enter rooms before his wife, saying "a man who is a gentleman before becoming President should remain one afterwards.""

Petridish

From IO9: "With government spending for the sciences on the decline, entrepreneur Matt Salzberg saw an opportunity. He'd create a crowdfunding site for scientists, where researchers could get funding directly from the public. Last week, he and his team launched Petridish.org, and they've already got reputable researchers whose projects are almost funded after just a few days. Could this be the future of publicly funded science?
If you visit Petridish right now, you'll see a handful of projects — all from reputable scientists associated with institutions like NASA, the California Academy of Sciences, and Stanford University — that request fairly modest sums to do incredibly important work. It's all basic research, and ranges from searching for exomoons (moons in other solar systems), to tracking endangered sea turtles, recording the sounds of undersea ecosystems (how cool is that?), to discovering new species of ants in uncharted regions of Madagascar. The videos of the scientists requesting funds are geeky and lo-fi, but still incredibly exciting. Imagine helping somebody discover weird new life forms in the ocean!"

Rec: Elvis Presley's Grilled Peanut Butter And Banana Sandwich

2 slices of white bread
2 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter
1 small ripe banana mashed
2 tablespoons butter



Spread the peanut butter on one slice of bread and the
mashed banana on the other. Press the slices gently
together. Melt the butter (or to be truly Elvis-like,
melt bacon fat!), over low heat in a small frying pan.
Place the sandwich in the pan and fry until golden
brown on both sides. Eat it with a glass of buttermilk.


Please note: Elvis tended to eat 12-15 sandwiches a sitting! So belly up!

The Thought For Today

"Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway." - John Wayne

iPod Accessory for Desperate Housewives

Let it never be said that we have seen it all...

Strange New Products

Strange New Products

And for Weird Friday we have... It's pretty much self-explanatory. It's where you go to view the weird and the wacky as they are released into the world.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRANKIE MCDONALD!

Yes, it's that time again.
It must be nice to finally be 30.

TIME TO CELEBRATE!

style-your-garage.com - Home

style-your-garage.com - Home


Now, this isn't cheap but it's soooooooooooooo cool!

POOR DEANO!

Canstruction

Now why don't they do this down at my local grocery store? It sure would put a little zip into boring food shopping.

The Thought For Today

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

The Thought For Today

"The devil came to me last night and asked what I wanted in exchange for my soul. I still can't believe I said pizza. Friggin' cravings." — Marc Ostroff

The Thought For Today

Hangman: "Have you any last wish?"
WC: "Yes, I'd like to see Paris before I die."(pause)
"Philadelphia will do." - W.C.Fields

POOR DEANO!

Ahhhh! Run! They Will Return!

Just when you thought Christmas was over and you were safe from carols until December. No, no, we are not safe! They will return. Ruunnn!!!!!!!

POOR DEANO!

Tokyoflash : Unique Japanese Watches

Tokyoflash : Unique Japanese Watches

Welcome to another Weird Friday. This isn't the weirdest Site that I've found, but as they say, it's pretty unique. If you like watches or have a friend who does, this is the place to get a one of a kind watch. I haven't seen these offered anywhere else.

POOR DEANO!

We're All Stars Now

7Introducing...Soccer Mom Jeannie Tate and her traveling talk show! Completely off topic here, I don't know about you guys, but I haven't yet figured out how children's team sports is supposed to improve society. Do we really get as much benefit out of all the effort put into it as we should? Are team sports going to save the universe, or what?

The Thought For Today

"If you can't convince 'em, confuse 'em." - Harry S. Truman

Zombiewalk.com - Your source for all Zombie Walk and Zombie Flash Mob planning!

Zombiewalk.com - Your source for all Zombie Walk and Zombie Flash Mob planning!


Yup, you're right - it's another Weird Friday.

The Thought For Today

"The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made." - Groucho Marx

The Thought For Today

"You got to look on the bright side, even if there ain't one." - Dashiell Hammett

Happy Tree Friends

Happy Tree Friends

Welcome to the Happy Tree Friends. They just want to play with each other and have fun. And then something goes horribly wrong! Always! Enjoy the bloodshed - I do.

The Thought For Today

“Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter faction, the vegans ... are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit.”  ― Anthony Bourdain

Rec: Microwaved Potatoes Lyonnaise

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 small onions, sliced
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika



In a 3 quart casserole dish, combine potatoes, onions,
margarine, garlic, salt, oregano, pepper and paprika.
Heat in microwave on HIGH until margarine melts,
about 1 minute; stir. Cook 10 minutes more, stirring
occasionally.


Serves 3 to 4
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave

Rec: Rice Picanté

2 cups white rice
4 cups water
1 cup mayonnaise - low-fat okay
1 sm. red onion - chopped
1/2 red bell pepper - seeded, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper - seeded, chopped
3/4 cup picanté sauce OR salsa
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese - low-fat okay


In a microwave steamer, cook white rice with water
for 12 minutes on 100% power.-In a bowl, combine
the mayonnaise, onion, peppers, picanté sauce and
cheddar cheese. When rice has cooked for 12 minutes,
remove from microwave and add the mayonnaise
mixture. Return to the microwave for 8 minutes on
100% power. Serve with fajitas.


Serves 6 to 8
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave

Rec: Wasabi Peas

2 cups dried whole peas
2 tablespoons olive oil

Wasabi Coating
4 teaspoons Wasabi powder
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard


Soak the peas in water to cover overnight. Preheat the
oven to 200°. Drain the peas, then cook them according
to instructions on the package. Mix the olive oil with the
cooked peas until well coated. Oil a baking sheet and
spread the peas evenly across it. Place in the oven and
bake for 5 hours, until the peas appear dry and are crisp
when bitten into. Combine the Wasabi powder, tahini,
rice vinegar and mustard in a mixing bowl. Combine
the wasabi mixture with the hot peas making sure that
all the peas are evenly coated. Using a rubber spatula,
spread the peas on the baking sheet, separating as many
as you can. Increase the oven temperature to 250°.
Bake the peas for 10 to 15 minutes, until the coating is dry.

Rec: Red Lobster's Garlic Cheddar Cheese Biscuits

2 ½ cups Bisquick baking mix
¾ cup cold whole milk
4 tablespoons cold butter (1/2 stick)
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 heaping cup grated cheddar cheese

To Brush On Top
2 tablespoons butter, melted
¼ teaspoon dried parsley flakes
½ teaspoon garlic powder
pinch salt


Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Combine Bisquick with
cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter or a
large fork. You don't want to mix too thoroughly. There
should be small chunks of butter in there that are about
the size of peas. Add Cheddar cheese, milk, and ¼ teaspoon
garlic. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix.
Drop approximately ¼-cup portions of the dough onto an
ungreased cookie sheet using an ice cream scoop. Bake for
15 to 17 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits begin to
turn light brown. When you take the biscuits out of the
oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter is a small bowl in your
microwave. Stir in ½ teaspoon garlic powder and the dried
parsley flakes. Use a brush to spread this garlic butter over
the tops of all the biscuits. Use up all of the butter. Makes
one dozen biscuits.

Serves 4 to 6

Recipe: Microwave Basic Steamed Rice

2 cups long grain white rice, washed and drained
2 1/2 cups boiling water


Pour the rice in a 3 quart casserole and add boiling
water. Cover with a vented microwave lid. Cook on HIGH
(1200W) for 5 minutes or until the liquid boils. Switch to
LOW(30%) and cook for 14 minutes. Remove from the
oven and let it sit for 5 minutes with the cover on. Fluff
rice lightly with a fork.


Makes 4 cups

Zombie Brains Emporium of Shiny Things: Home: Zazzle.com Store

Zombie Brains Emporium of Shiny Things: Home: Zazzle.com Store


And lots more zombie stuff for this week.

IT'S ARLYNE RZEPECKI DAY!

HERE'S A TIP OF THE HAT FROM ME TO
YOU, ARLYNE, AND BE SURE TO DROP
IN IF YOU GET DOWN THIS WAY.

The Thought For Today

"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution is designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any other." - John Adams

ToonDoo - The Cartoon Strip Creator - Create, Publish, Share, Discuss!

ToonDoo - The Cartoon Strip Creator - Create, Publish, Share, Discuss!

Well, well, well. Finally a Site for the artistically inept, like me, where you can make your own comic strip and publish, share and discuss it. And it's free. You can even put it on a Blog. Hmmm.

Portals - WSJ.com

Portals - WSJ.com

Damn! The Internet IS addictive.

KI4U Nuke Prep Expertise & Solutions!

Be prepared. Dosimeters (especially Russian) are cheaper on eBay and potassium iodide is cheaper at Amazon, but buyer beware.

The Shape of Things that Never Came

Paleo-Future: A Look into the Future that Never Was, is a great little blog site that showcases those things we dreamed of that never came to be. In most cases they probably never will come to be but it seems likely that at least some of these things will become reality some day, although probably not in the exact form shown. From Smithsonian magazine.

Flood Maps

Flood Maps

Use these maps to see what the world will look like as the ice caps melt. Just put how much of a rise in sea level you expect in the upper left corner and it'll tell you how soon you'll be treading water.

Donald Duck's Family Tree

Definately answers one of the burning questions of our time - where the hell did he come from?

The Thought For Today

"If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, talks like a duck, it probably needs a little more time in the microwave." —  Lori Dowdy

The Thought For Today

"In some versions of my original contest column I had proposed, in a lighthearted manner, that we reduce the deficit by 'selling unnecessary states such as Oklahoma to the Japanese.' This caused a number of Oklahomans to send in letters containing many correctly spelled words and making the central lighthearted point that I am a jerk. They also sent me official literature stating that Oklahoma has enormous quantities of culture in the form of ballet, Oral Roberts, etc., and that the Official State Reptile -- I am not making this up -- is something called the 'Mountain Boomer.' So I apologize to Oklahoma, and as a token of my sincerity I'm willing to sell my state, Florida, to the Japanese, assuming nobody objects to the fact that Japan would suddenly become the most heavily armed nation on Earth." - Dave Barry

The Hard Truth From Orlando

You know what bothered me about that article on the four social workers facing criminal charges over the death of a child whose safety they were responsible for monitoring? That the two supervisors were written up as being big in their churches. It's been my very bad experience that the very religious, church-types turn a blind eye to behaviors that tell you something bad is happening because they believe that God made families, families need to be together, blah-blah-blah. It's the same kind of blind idiocy that lets them allow and even defend child molesters and killers in their own organizations, but insists that every pregnancy be carried to term while you punish the mother for getting pregnant.

The other thing that bothers me, is this social worker organization a contracted private organization or is it really a state organization, manned by state employees? The difference is, we have so many church or faith-based private organizations vying for government dollars -- promoted by former President G.W. Bush as being "more economical" than government-run agencies. So minimal standards are set and the money is paid with little government oversight. These private companies have their own agenda and it's not necessarily about protecting the children or families; it's about getting as many cases as they can so they can pull in the money and submit the paperwork that meets the minimum criteria.

We've had some truly hideous cases come through our court here. The eight-year-old who was removed from his insanely abusive mother and siblings, placed (per state-legislated criteria that you have to look for placement within a dysfunctional family rather than finding someone sane first) with another relative, who then promptly stuck the kid back with the mother he'd been removed from because the relative couldn't be bothered to find a babysitter while she worked. The 13-year-old abusive sibling strangled the eight-year-old over an old cupcake the kid ate because he was hungry. The 13-year-old killed his younger half-brother because the cupcake was his mom's "treat" to herself and she'd beat the 13-year-old if it was gone. Yep. Right here in Orlando. And the relative was NEVER charged. The 13-year-old was, but not the mom and not the relative who violated the protection order by putting the child back in harm's way.

And that's just one instance of the craziness. I'm still a strong proponent of the government handing out all available contraceptive means, providing free abortions and totally chopping out welfare payments after two years to non-working parents and repossessing any children for adoption by non-relatives if the parent can't get it together. When every child is planned, it will be a wanted and provided for child. We won't see children used as two-legged paychecks for freaks who breed and pass the kids around like a coupon for free government money. A box of condoms or a $300 to $500 abortion is a damned sight more economical to society and our government than 18 years of counseling, welfare, food stamps, subsidized housing, legal assistance, foster care, Medicaid or independent living expenses if the kids age out of foster care.

If our government leaders were serious about reducing crime, poverty, government spending, child abuse, they'd hand over the medical provisions and acknowledge that being a parent is either totally the individual's choice and therefore an individual's responsibility and will automatically result in criminal charges against parents who expose their offspring to abuse, or they'd say being a parent is not a choice and the government is picking up the tab for all the unwanted, unprovided for children the current paternalistic legislation promotes. Instead, we have these half-measures. On the one hand, access to contraceptives and abortion are being made inaccessible to the neediest people among us. But on the other hand, the government is handing out money hand-over-fist for children with little hope of ever being productive, contributing, taxpaying citizens.

I say, pick one. Either end the mindless production of children for a social work and prison industry, or admit and accept it's okay that the taxpayer foots the bill for religious-based irrational policies and pays for it with the blood of unplanned, unwelcome children.

   Florida Cracker

POOR DEANO!

How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Find out with this quiz! I'm a mere 17 percent addicted myself, but I think all the rest of you will be much more addicted. Think of all the money you could be making while you're wasting time on blogging. You could probably have a second job, be packing money into the bank and investments ... But no, you have to BLOG! I'm so far ahead of all you guys.

WASP Injection Systems, Inc. - WASP Injection Knife

WASP Injection Systems, Inc. - WASP Injection Knife





For that next Sharknado...

The Thought For Today

"They never got me for the right offense." - W.C.Fields

POOR DEANO!

With Luck, They All Fall Down

Okay, it's a British TV commercial, but if you haven't seen it, it's worth a look. (I can't believe they got this on the first take. And what's that swimming froggie thing in the water?...)

The Thought For Today

"I had a linguistics professor who said that it's man's ability to use language that makes him the dominant species on the planet. That may be. But I think there's one other thing that separates us from animals. We aren't afraid of vacuum cleaners." - Jeff Stilson

Museum of Hoaxes

Museum of Hoaxes

HEY! IT'S APRIL FIRST! APRIL'S FOOL DAY! And, yes it's real, sorta.

The Thought For Today

"The only time most women give their orating husbands undivided attention is when the old boys mumble in their sleep." - Wilson Mizner

The Thought For Today

"There's a sucker born every minute" - P.T. Barnum

The Thought For Today

“How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?” ― Charles de Gaulle

The Thought For Today

Man (to WC): "You're drunk!

"WC: "Yeah, and you're crazy. And I'll be sober tomorrow and you'll be crazy for the rest of your life." - W.C.Fields

POOR DEANO!

Free the Nipple Day

YUP - YOU JUST HAD TO LOOK.

The Thought For Today

"The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they are okay, then it's you." - Rita Mae Brown

Edible

Edible

It's Weird Friday and here's even more strange things to eat. For YOU to eat.

The Thought For Today

"I'm the only man who has a marriage license made out To Whom It May Concern." - Mickey Rooney

Purim

Celebrate, one and all, sunset tonight is when it all begins!

The Thought For Today

"If God didn't want us to eat animals, why did he make them out of meat?" - Homer Simpson

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BILL!

Happy 85th and many happy returns...

YouTube - The Firm - Star Trekkin'

YouTube - The Firm - Star Trekkin'


I've loved this song since I heard it on Dr. Demento. And when you add claymation? BLAM!

POOR DEANO!

Is this fairytale castle the inspiration for Hogwarts?

If it wasn't, it might as well have been. I think it might have been the inspiration for the movies' set designers, if not for J.K. Rowling. At any rate, it's the 125th anniversary of the death of artistic but oddball King Ludwig II, who built Neuschwanstein Castle in the Bavarian Alps. Check out the great photos in this piece from The Altantic. (No, this is not a paid endorsement, and no, I don't have stock in the company, in case you're wondering.)

The ORIGINAL Illustrated Catalog Of ACME Products

http://home.roadrunner.com/~tuco/looney/acme.html
For Weird Friday we have: The ORIGINAL Illustrated Catalog Of ACME Products. All of them from 1935 to 1964. COOL!

Saint Patrick's Day

Enjoy yourselves - just not TOO much. And say hi to the purple elephants for me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick%27s_Day

The Mustache Rangers

The Mustache Rangers
"The Mustache Rangers explore space and beyond in this weekly serial comedy adventure sci-fi old time radio program." Very, very funny stuff.

Rec: Shrimp Jambalaya

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes, with liquid
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 1/2 pounds cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined




In a crock pot, mix chicken, celery, green bell pepper,
onion, garlic, tomatoes with liquid, sugar, salt, Italian
seasoning, cayenne pepper, and bay leaf. Cover, and
cook on LOW 7 to 9 hours. Remove bay leaf from the
chicken mixture, and stir in orzo. Increase heat to HIGH.
Cook 15 minutes, until orzo is tender. Stir in shrimp, and
cook 2 minutes, until shrimp are heated through.



Serves 6 to 8
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave

The Thought For Today

"A lot of the recent actresses look and act like my niece. Now, she's a good girl, but I wouldn't pay to see her." - Vincent Price

I-Mockery.com - COMICS! A collection of our web comics and comic-oriented pieces!

10-Mockery.com - COMICS! A collection of our web comics and comic-oriented pieces!

Welcome to the comics of I-Mockery. There's plenty of great stuff here but my favorite has to be PickleMan. My favorite issues are 5 and 6 with the Flash movie, PickleMan's Breakfast Battle a close third. Oh, and the rest of the Site is a lot of fun too. Enjoy.

"No War on Terror"

Excellent link I found on Neil Gaiman's site. And I agree with Neil, who agrees with Sir Ken Macdonald, Britain's director of public prosecutions. At last, a voice of reason.

Jay Pinkerton.com

Jay Pinkerton.com

More fun stuff to help warp young (and not quite so) minds. It's all older stuff, but still fun.

The Borowitz Report .com

http://www.borowitzreport.com/


If laughter is the best medicine, this will cure almost anything. Updated Sun through Thur.

The Thought For Today

“You're thinking I'm one of those wise-ass California vegetarians who is going to tell you that eating a few strips of bacon is bad for your health. I'm not. I say its a free country and you should be able to kill yourself at any rate you choose, as long as your cold dead body is not blocking my driveway.”
― Scott Adams

Rec: Crock Pot Vegetarian Goulash

8 ozs mushroom, sliced
5 1/3 ozs tempeh, in 3/4 inch dice
2/3 cup carrot, in 1/2 inch dice
1 1/3 medium onion, chopped
2/3 large tomato, peeled, seeded & chopped
2/3 small bell pepper, chopped
1 1/3 garlic clove, minced
7/8 cup vegetable broth
4 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 1/3 teaspoons dill
1/3 teaspoon caraway seed, lightly crushed
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2/3 (10 1/2 ozs) package silken tofu
2/3 cup frozen peas, thawed





Put the mushrooms, tempeh and carrots into a crock pot
(no need to steam the tempeh first). Combine onions,
tomato, bell pepper, garlic and broth in a blender container
and puree. Add the puree to the crock pot and mix well.
Add the paprika, parsley, dill, caraway seed, salt and
pepper to the crock pot and stir well. Cover and cook on
LOW heat 8 to 10 hours. Shortly before serving, puree
the silken tofu in a blender with a little liquid from the
crock pot until very smooth. Stir it into the crock pot, add
the peas and heat through. Serve over cooked noodles,
potatoes, rice or other grains.



Serves 2 to 4
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave

Rec: Vegetable Quesadillas

2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 small sweet red pepper, julienned
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon canola oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 (6 inch) flour tortillas
3/4 cups shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend



In a 1-1/2-qt. microwave-safe dish, combine the first
nine ingredients. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 minutes
or until vegetables are tender. Divide vegetable mixture
evenly over 3 tortillas; sprinkle with cheese. Top each
with remaining tortilla. Place each filled tortilla on a
microwave-safe plate; cover with a piece of waxed paper.
Microwave on HIGH for 30 to 45 seconds or until cheese
is melted. Repeat with remaining quesadillas. Cut each
quesadilla into wedges.


Serves 2 to 3
Refrigerate remainder
Can be carefully reheated in microwave

Rec: Crock Pot Vegetarian Lasagna

4 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/3 onion, diced
2 garlic clove, crushed
1 1/3 (6 ozs) cans tomato paste
1 1/3 (2 7/8 cup) cans tomato sauce
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons pepper
1 cup mushroom, sliced
2/3 teaspoon dried oregano
2/3 (26 1/2 ozs) container ricotta cheese
2 2/3 cups fresh spinach, rinsed
1/3 cup parmesan cheese or asiago cheese, grated
1 1/3 (13 1/4 ozs) boxes no-boil lasagna noodles, uncooked
10 2/3 ozs mozzarella cheese, shredded





In large saucepan over medium heat, heat olive oil and add
onions and garlic. Cook over MEDIUM heat until tender,
about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, oregano, salt and pepper
to taste and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring often. Add
tomato paste and stir mixing thoroughly. Add tomato sauce,
stir and cook sauce stirring occasionally for another 6 to 8
minutes or until heated through. Remove sauce from heat
and set aside. In crock pot, cover bottom with enough sauce
to just cover. Add two layers of lasagna noodles, breaking
them where needed. Spread noodles with one tub of the
ricotta cheese and salt and pepper. Add two layers of lasagna
noodles. Cover noodles with half of the sauce, sprinkle with
1/2 of the mozzarella cheese. Add two layers of lasagna
noodles. Spread noodles with 1/2 tub of the ricotta cheese.
Shake excess water from spinach leaves and cover cheese
with spinach and salt and pepper. Add two layers of lasagna
noodles. Cover noodles with remaining sauce and cover
sauce with remaining mozzarella and parmesan or asiago
cheese. Put lid on crock pot and turn on HIGH. Leave to
cook for 5 hours. When done, let lasagna sit for 8 minutes
to set before cutting.



Serves 2 to 4
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave

Rec: Microwave Rice-Crust Spinach Quiche

3/4 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese, divided
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons egg substitute, divided
1/8 teaspoon curry powder
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and
squeezed dry
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons fat free evaporated milk
1/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper



Combine rice, 1/2 cup cheese, 1/4 cup egg substitute and
curry powder. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of
microwave-safe 6 in. pie plate. Microwave on HIGH for
2 to 3 minutes or until firm. Combine the spinach, milk,
mushrooms, onion, garlic powder, pepper and remaining
cheese and egg substitute; pour into crust. Microwave
on MEDIUM power for 10 minutes, rotating a quarter
turn every 5 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the
center comes out clean.



Serves 2 to 4
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave

Rec: Microwave Bean Tortilla Casserole

12 corn tortillas (5" diameter) torn in pieces
1 large onion, diced fine
1 (30 oz.) can Rosarita refried beans-vegetarian
1 zucchini, sliced thin
2 stalks chopped Celery
diced Pickles
diced Olives
meatless Spaghetti sauce, Ragu, Prego
Cheese, grated, low fat



Spray glass dish (8 x 12 x 2 inch or larger) with Pam.
Sprinkle a little water on the bottom of dish. Add diced
onion and microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes. Remove
onions from dish, leave liquid and layer in the following
order: Torn tortillas, onions, zucchini, celery, pickles, olives
and beans. Top with spaghetti sauce, any amount you wish,
cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 15 minutes on
MEDIUM. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 to 10
minutes with plastic wrap in place. Remove plastic and
sprinkle with grated cheese.



Serves 2 to 4
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave

Dave Barry's Blog

Dave Barry's Blog

For any lazy morning. Chock full of fun and weird Links that people send him. It also has Links to some of his old columns.

POOR DEANO!

Rec: Crock Pot Hearty Vegetarian Hobo Soup

24 ozs frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 (46 oz) can V8 (low sodium if you like)
1 bay leaf
salt
garlic powder
1/2 (16 oz) package coleslaw mix


Spray a crock pot with cooking spray. In the crock pot,
mix together the Vegetables, Vegetable Juice, Bay Leaves,
Cole slaw, Garlic Powder and Salt to taste (I substitute 1
tablespoon ONLY of Ms. Dash Original Flavor for the garlic
and salt and sometimes add chopped onions to taste).
Cover and cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours.



Serves 2 to 4
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave

Rec: Cold Cucumber Soup

2 large cucumbers, peeled and seeded
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1 cup chicken broth
1 small onion, cut into wedges
4 sprigs fresh parsley, stems removed
2 sprigs fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dill weed, stems removed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon white pepper


Cut cucumbers into large chunks and place in a blender
with remaining ingredients. Puree and pour into bowl.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Serves 4
Refrigerate remainder (of course)
Perfect on a hot summer day with a sandwich

Rec: Gazpacho

2 Roma (plum) tomatoes, quartered
1 large cucumber, peeled and halved
1 onion, peeled and halved
1 cup green bell pepper, diced
1 (4 oz) jar diced pimento peppers, drained
2 (12 oz) cans tomato juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup croutons
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives



In a blender combine one tomato, half the cucumber,
half the onion, a green bell pepper quarter, the pimento
and 1/2 cup tomato juice. Blend at high speed for 30
seconds to puree the vegetables. In a large bowl mix
the pureed vegetables with remaining tomato juice,
1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, hot pepper sauce, salt and
ground black pepper. Cover mixture and refrigerate
until it is well chilled (about 2 hours). Meanwhile saute
the croutons in oil and add the garlic; transfer to a
small bowl. Place remaining chopped tomato,
cucumber, onion and green bell pepper in separate
bowls. Serve soup in chilled bowls, garnish with
chives, and serve chopped vegetables and croutons
as accompaniments.


Serves 4 to 6
Refrigerate remainder

Rec: Microwave Butternut Soup

1 lb butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons butter
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 dash ground nutmeg
1/2 dash ground cloves
1/2 dash ground cinnamon



In a large microwave dish combine squash, onions and
butter. Cover and microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes.
Stir in broth and cook on HIGH for another 15 to 20
minutes, or until squash is tender. Puree squash, onions
and broth in a food processor or blender. Add cream, salt
and pepper, and microwave on HIGH for another 2 to 3
minutes, or until heated through. Flavor with nutmeg,
cloves and cinnamon to taste.


Serves 2 to 3
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave

Rec: Microwave Minestrone Soup

1 (14 1/2 oz) can beef broth
1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup medium pasta shells, cooked and drained
3 minced garlic cloves
1/4 cup onions, diced
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (15 oz) can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained



In a 2 qt. microwave bowl, combine the carrots, celery,
zucchini, yellow pepper and onion. Drizzle with oil; toss
to coat. Cover and microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes.
Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on
HIGH for 9 to 11 minutes.


Serves 4 to 6
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave

The Thought For Today

TV...If kids are entertained by two letters, imagine the fun they'll have with twenty-six. Open your child's imagination. Open a book.

The Thought For Today

"The good thing about being bisexual is that it doubles your chance of a date on a Saturday night." - Woody Allen

TSA No-Fly List

Yes, folks, for Weird Friday we have, the one, the only - TSA No-Fly List! Now's your chance to check and see if your name is on it BEFORE you go to the airport. And your kids. And your pets. And your houseplants. If it has a name, it can (and probably will) go on the list.

The Thought For Today

"President Obama insisted that the U.S. economy is still showing improvement. And he said you can take that to the bank, if you can find any that are still open." - Jay Leno

TheReligionofPeace.com - Islam: Making a True Difference in the World

TheReligionofPeace.com - Islam: Making a True Difference in the World

The peace of the grave. Those who behave as animals should be treated as such.

The Thought For Today

"No amount of time can erase the memory of a good cat, and no amount of masking tape can ever totally remove his fur from your couch." - Leo Dworken

The Thought For Today

"A company in Seattle just came out with a new bacon-flavored soda. So if you love the taste of bacon and you love the taste of soda, you're about to realize how much you love them separately." - Jimmy Fallon

The Thought For Today

"Out of my mind. Back in five minutes." - J.B. Morton

The Thought For Today

"A new study shows that California has the dirtiest tap water in the country. California officials insist that the dirty water is fine as long as you chew it thoroughly." - Conan O'Brien

The Thought For Today

"If the world was perfect, it wouldn't be." - Yogi Berra

The Thought For Today

"I think when you eat out you should have a little fun; it's good for digestion. Simple things. After the waiter recites a long list of specials, ask him if they serve cow feet." - George Carlin

The Thought For Today

Whether they ever find life there or not, I think Jupiter should be considered an enemy planet. - Jack Handey

The Hard Truth From Orlando

Republican. When exactly did that become synonymous with dumbass? I know it's been a while.

And I'd point out that the "Mexico City" policy that cut funding for abortion and contraception in Latin countries came from President Reagan, the ignorant bastard. And guess why we have then had a nearly 30-year glut of illegal immigrants flooding from South American countries that cannot support all these unplanned for, unprovided for children? I love how these men who sell themselves like prostitutes to lobbyists and religious organizations are so incredibly generous when it's not them that has to foot the bill or spend their lives taking care of children who have no hope of normalcy or availability of basic medical care.

Said it before, any woman who is forced to bear a child she did not want and could not support should be allowed to put her state representative's name on the birth certificate and sue their representative for child support. We'd see how fast these jerkweeds support contraception and abortion when it comes out of THEIR hides. I mean, the taxpayers aren't going to be out any money. We pay for the unwanted children anyway. I just think we should make it come out of the representative's taxpayer-based salary instead of him collecting a paycheck from us while we still have to pony up a lifetime of separate fees for the two-legged legacies of his moral stance.


   Florida Cracker

The story: http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2016/02/11/republicans_in_congress_urge_women_with_zika_to_accept_microcephaly_not.html

The Thought For Today

"We've all been blessed with God-given talents. Mine just happens to be beating people up." - Sugar Ray Leonard

Supper at Sea by *ATLbladerunner on deviantART

Supper at Sea by *ATLbladerunner on deviantART

For Weird Friday we have: Supper at Sea. You've seen the Last Supper with the Star Wars crowd? How about the Flying Spagetti Monster version? Now you can get it in all it's glory with Popeye and friends. What, or who, is next?

The Thought For Today

"Men and women are different in the morning. The men wake up aroused in the morning. We can't help it. We just wake up and we want you. And the women are thinking, 'How can he want me the way I look in the morning?' It's because we can't see you. We have no blood anywhere near our optic nerve. " - Andy Rooney

The Thought For Today

"Have you ever noticed? Anybody going slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac." - George Carlin

Rec: Sushi Pizza

1 cup sushi rice

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1/2 Avocado, thinly sliced

1/2 sheet roasted nori (pressed seaweed)

3/4 cup flaked imitation crabmeat (surimi) or 3/4 cup thinly sliced smoked salmon

1/2 cup very thinly sliced English cucumber

2 tablespoons pickled ginger

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon wasabi powder

 

 

In saucepan, combine rice and 1 1/4 cups (300 mL) water; bring to boil.
Cover and reduce heat to low; cook for 25 minutes or until rice is tender.
With fork, stir in rice vinegar and sesame seeds. Meanwhile, line 8-inch

(1. 2L) round or 8-inch square cake pan with plastic wrap. With spatula,

press rice firmly and evenly into pan. Let cool completely. Turn out onto

flat serving plate. Top with layer of avocado slices. Using scissors, cut

nori into thin strips; sprinkle over avocado. Arrange crabmeat, cucumber

and ginger over top. Stir together mayonnaise, milk and wasabi powder;

drizzle over top. Cut into wedges to serve.

 

 

Serves 2

The Thought For Today

"You have a cough ? Go home tonight, eat a whole box of Ex-Lax, tomorrow you'll be afraid to cough." - Pearl Williams

Star Trek's 10 Cheesiest Classic Creatures

Star Trek's 10 Cheesiest Classic Creatures

The first season is out on HD DVD/DVD , including these great guest stars.

The Thought For Today

"I'm not into working out. My philosophy: No pain, no pain." - Carol Leifer

The Thought For Today

"Advertising: The science of arresting the human intelligence long enough to get money from it." - Stephen Leacock

YouTube - Star Trek Klingon Hamlet taH pagh taHbe' (To be or not to be)

YouTube - Star Trek Klingon Hamlet taH pagh taHbe' (To be or not to be)


Not exactly weird, but definately strange. A scene from Hamlet done in the ORIGINAL Klingon. Don't worry if your Klingon is a bit rusty, it includes subtitles.

The Thought For Today

"A committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours." - Milton Berle

YouTube - STAR TREK BLOOPERS 1960`s

YouTube - STAR TREK BLOOPERS 1960`s


Yup, it's a blast from the past. Over four minutes of original Star Trek bloopers. And there's plenty more where these came from, both old and new. So what better way to waste a morning than at YouTube watching Star Trek bloopers and outtakes. Grab a bagel and another cup of coffee and enjoy.

The Thought For Today

“I love you like a fat kid loves cake!” ―   Scott Adams

The Thought For Today

"A family in Brooklyn found a boa constrictor in their couch. They were beginning to get suspicious because they were the only apartment in New York that didn't have rats." - David Letterman

The Thought For Today

"I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life." - Rita Rudner

Internet Addiction Test

Internet Addiction Test


For Weird Friday we have The Center for Internet Addiction... Take their tests and find out if YOU'RE addicted.

The Thought For Today

"Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie." - Jim Davis

Rec: Cabbage And Leeks In Cream Sauce

1/2 head cabbage, coarsely chopped
3 large leeks, sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons sherry or dry white wine
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 to 1 cup half and half or milk
1/4 teaspoon mace, or nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste



Put cabbage and leeks in crockpot. Add minced garlic,
sherry and water (or use 1/4 cup of chicken broth).
Dot with 1 tablespoon of butter; cover and cook on LOW
for 7 to 9 hours. Melt butter in saucepan; add flour and
stir until smooth and bubbling. Add cream or milk and
cook over LOW heat until thickened. Add the mace and
salt and pepper to taste. Mix into the cabbage and leek
mixture.


Serves 2 to 4
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave

Rec: Vegetarian Spaghetti for Crock Pot

2/3 (1 1/2 oz) envelope spaghetti sauce mix
2/3 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
2/3 cup water
2/3 small eggplant
1 small red onion, diced
2/3 cup chopped mushrooms
2/3 small bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 medium tomato, cut into small wedges
1/3 teaspoon salt
dash crushed chili peppers
5 1/3 ozs uncooked spaghetti
2 2/3 ozs grated mozzarella cheese




In crock pot, mix dry sauce mix with tomato sauce
and water. Cut zucchini into 1/2-inch crosswise slices.
Peel eggplant, slice thinly and then cut each slice into
quarters. Add all the diced and sliced veggies to the
crock pot. Cover and cook on LOW 4 to 6 hours or until
vegetables are tender. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti
according to package directions; drain. Serve sauce on
top of cooked spaghetti with mozzarella sprinkled on top.



Serves 2 to 4
Refrigerate remainder
Can be carefully reheated in microwave

Rec: Ratatouille

1/2 cup olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 to 3 minced garlic cloves
1 small eggplant, peeled and diced
1 large can (1 lb. 12 oz.) California style tomatoes
4 zucchini
2 green peppers, cleaned and diced
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste



Heat oil in heavy saucepan. Add onions and garlic, brown
quickly over HIGH heat. Add eggplant and tomatoes and
mix, crushing mixture with back of wooden spoon. Add
zucchini and green peppers and mix well. Add seasonings
and cook 2 to 3 minutes over HIGH heat, stirring most
of the time. Cover and simmer about 1 hour, stirring once
or twice, until sauce is thick and creamy. This ratatouille
can be served hot or cold, as an hors d'oeuvre, salad or
as a hot vegetable. Easily doubled and will keep 10 to 15
days refrigerated.


Serves 4 to 6
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave

Rec: Million-Dollar Potatoes

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 lbs potatoes, cut into wedges


Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the melted butter in
a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, combine the
remaining ingredients except the potatoes; mix well.
Dip the potato wedges in the melted butter then in the
crumb mixture, turning to coat completely; place on
baking sheets in a single layer and pour any remaining
melted butter over the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes,
or until the potatoes are tender.


Serves 4 to 6
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave

Rec: Microwave Cornbread

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup milk
2 large eggs


Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing
bowl. Stir in oil. Beat milk and eggs together, then mix with
dry ingredients. Pour into a six-cup plastic ring or gellatin
mold. Microwave on HIGH for four to five minutes. Let rest
five minutes before removing from mold.

Serves 4 to 6
Refrigerate remainder
Can be carefully reheated in microwave or enjoyed cold

Product List

Product List

For this Weird Friday I offer - a Goth Site. You too can own a video or two on embalming or performing autopsies. Check out the chocolates and have fun!

Perpetual Kid - Unique Gifts to Entertain Your Inner Child

Perpetual Kid - Unique Gifts to Entertain Your Inner Child


Fun, fun, fun...

Rec: Microwave Donburi Chicken, Egg & Oyako Sauce

4 cups warm steamed rice
1 lb. chicken breast, skinless, boneless and cut into 2-inch strips
2 cups onion, sliced in 1/2 inch chunks
1 1/2 cups carrots, cut in half moon shapes
1 cup mushroom, sliced in half
2 cups watercress sprigs, cut 1 inch long
4 eggs, beaten

Sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon white wine



Mix the ingredients in a 3-quart casserole, and stir
until the sugar dissolves. Add the onion, carrots, and
mushrooms and place the chicken slices on top. Spoon
the Oyako Sauce over the vegetables and chicken.
Cover with a vented microwave lid. Cook on HIGH
(1200W) for 9 to 10 minutes. When the chicken is
cooked, pour the beaten eggs over the top and cover.
Cook on HIGH (1200W) for another 2 to 3 minutes or
until the eggs are done. Take the casserole out and
add the watercress. In serving bowls, spoon in the rice
and spoon the Oyako mix on top.


Serves 4
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave

8 Feel-good Websites To Brighten Your Day

And my days need all the help that they can get.

The Thought For Today

“Do not train children to learning by force and harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.” – Plato

MindGuard Home Page

MindGuard Home Page

Yup, it's Weird Friday again and today we have THE source for anti-mind-control sofware. Unfortunately it's only for computers runing Amiga and Linux. The rest of us are DOOMED!

The Thought For Today

"There's only one way to have a happy marriage and as soon as I learn what it is I'll get married again." - Clint Eastwood

The Thought For Today

"Ever wonder if illiterate people get the full effect of alphabet soup?" - John Mendoza

Stop Alien Abductions

Stop Alien Abductions

Welcome to another Weird Friday. Very, very seldom am I at a loss for words. This is one of those times.

The Thought For Today

"My wife and I went back to the hotel where we spent our wedding night. Only this time, I stayed in the bathroom and cried." - Henny Youngman

Magazine: Create a customized magazine from your digital photographs

Magazine: Create a customized magazine from your digital photographs

You can use this one to make your own fake magazine cover. "Frog Sexing Monthly" anyone?

The Thought For Today

Man: "I have no sympathy for a man who is intoxicated all the time.
"WC: "A man who's intoxicated all the time doesn't need sympathy." - W.C.Fields

Newspaper snippet generator

Newspaper snippet generator

Another fun time waster. You can generate newspaper clippings among other things. My favorite is the "Talking Squirrel".

Rec: Frankie's Potato Knish, The Easy Way

Buy one box of the packaged potato pancake mix (that’s LATKE
not KUGEL) in the international food section and the puff-pastry
sheets from the frozen dessert section – both are available
at Publix.

Follow the directions on the puff pastry box and the potato
pancake mix.

There are two sheets of the puff pastry. You can cut the two
sheets in half so that you now have four pieces. Let thaw
while you prepare the potato pancake mix.

Follow the directions on the box to prepare the potato pancake
mix. Then, after it’s mixed, pour it into a large glass baking
container and nuke it at HIGH for 10 minutes, or until the center
holds a toothpick upright. You don’t want to dry out the mix
or burn it, but you do want it done, so you might have to stop
the microwave and stir the mix again before resuming the
nuking to make sure it’s all cooked.

Now that you’re happy that it’s cooked through, it should still be
pliable and crumbly. Put it in four equal measures on the four
pieces of puff pastry sheet. Smoosh it into a rectangular form
on the sheet. I usually make sure it’s toward one side so I can
just fold the other half of the sheet over and have it fairly
evenly distributed but still covered by the pastry. Or you can
put the potato mix in the middle of the sheet and pull up the
four corners and make it look pretty. I prefer the simple
fold-over and pinch the edges together on the open three
sides of the little “bed” of pastry like I do. The theory is,
you don’t want to bite pastry without getting some potato
in it.

Put it in the conventional oven on a cookie sheet and bake at
400 degrees or until the shell is golden brown. Take it out
and let it cool.

Good eating.

Rec: Frankie's Veggie Sandwiches And Poor Man's Eggplant Parmesan

Just a couple of squash, zucchini, eggplant and a package
(or can) of mushrooms, some cheese and one onion, all of
which costs less than $5, and you can make the neatest
and tastiest veggie sandwiches.

Long slice the zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, onions
(I like red), eggplant or cabbage (be creative in your slicing)
and sauté the sliced veggies and mushrooms in olive oil, a
teaspoon of soy sauce, sprinkling of garlic powder, basil. When
everything is nice and limp, lay it out in layers on a toasted
hoagie roll or bun or whatever. Add shredded Parmesan or
the powdered kind (I like shredded, it melts so nice and oozily).
Devour at will. If you make more than can be put in one
sandwich, put the already cooked stuff in storage bag or bowl
and you can reheat for later sandwiches. Tomato, fried or plain,
also adds zest.

Eggplant is also great if sautéed in margarine until limp, cover
with shredded Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese and then pour
a can of Beefaroni (or the Wal-Mart generic Macaroni and Beef)
over it. Mmm-mmm. I call that the poor man’s Eggplant
Parmesan. And the Beefaroni is way low in fat. So try that too.

Rec: Annette's Heart-Stopping Artichoke Dip

INGREDIENTS
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon grated garlic (or 1 tablespoon powdered garlic – NOT garlic salt)


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Combine the artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, cheese and garlic. Mix well and pour into a 2 quart casserole dish.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
Serve w/ crackers or plain tortilla chips.
I’ve also seen this dip with 4 oz. of diced green chili instead of the garlic.

Rec: Frankie's Campers Corned Beef Hash

Field-expedient method: Take 3 or 4 medium-sized potatoes,
nuke on HIGH for five minutes. Poke them with a fork and
make sure they’re cooked through. If not, give them another
couple of minutes. Poke again and nuke again if necessary.
When done, remove from microwave and put in a plastic sealed
container. Transport in your cooler or just stick in the fridge
for later.

At your leisure, dice ¼ to ½ onion; open a can of corned beef;
take out as many potatoes as you like and dice. Add about 2
tablespoons of cooking oil in a skillet, put in the onions and
potatoes, spread around in the oil. Place thin slices of corned
beef straight from the can on top of the veggies as they cook.
Not the whole can – just enough to cover the potatoes in the
pan. Put the excess in the sealed container with your unused
potatoes for later.

Over MEDIUM heat, stir occasionally until potatoes are
browned. Remove from heat and serve. You shouldn't need
much salt, the canned corn beef has plenty. You can throw in
some garlic powder or other seasonings, but frankly the
onion and touch of salt and pepper are all that’s needed.
Occasionally, I toss in diced egg plant or cabbage and let
it simmer with the potato. Excellente!

The Thought For Today

"The use of profanity on broadcast television is up 69 percent in the last few years. That should level off once Oprah steps down." - Jimmy Kimmel

23 Cooking Uses for Your Microwave

"If you use this gizmo only to zap popcorn or heat up leftovers, prepare to be impressed. Here are more than 20 ways your microwave can save you time in the kitchen."

New Years Resolutions

I will always wear clean underwear, "just in case", ESPECIALLY when traveling by air.

New Years Resolutions

I will keep an extra safe distance when driving behind police cars.

New Years Resolutions

I will always replace the gas nozzle before driving away from the pump.

New Years Resolutions

Never again will I try to defuse an explosive device with a known practical joker.

New Years Resolutions

I will always "check for paper"when leaving the ladies room.

The Hard Truth From Orlando

THE LOUISIANA COREY FRAME-UP

It's sad. It's bad. But it's Louisiana (or Texas -- and sometimes Florida) -- or Ferguson, Missouri. The corruption and politically driven need for convictions to further careers in law enforcement and the criminal justice system are pretty obvious. It's embarrassing for those of us who work the system when this kind of obscenity is uncovered, and more of an embarrassment when there doesn't seem to be a quick and resolute correction of the malefaction.

But it's not merely a one-sided, race-driven institution that condemned Corey. It's that gaping Grand Canyon of the cultural divide. Where were Corey's parents in all this? Where was the adult supervision on the night of the pizza robbery? If the boy is that disabled, the crime occurred at night, where were his parents and the parental supervision for he and his underage brother and why were they hanging out with adult men who were probably well-known in the neighborhood for criminal activities? Why didn't the parents or the Defense take the non-compliance of the prosecutor and discovery violations to the media, if not to the Louisiana Bar Association? Because it's easier to blame the "white" system than to make it work for you.

I see this kind of potentially disastrous scenario every single day in Orlando. It happens in West Cocoa, Titusville -- anywhere you have the black population, and a fairly significant portion of our Hispanic population. It's the cultural norm to float around at all hours, unsupervised. It's the NORM to have a criminal record, and therefore you don't restrict your children from running with other people with criminal records or hanging in neighborhoods with a bad reputation. You condone criminal records because "it's the white people's fault" and most of your neighbors and family members have a record, so what's the big deal?

I don't doubt for a red-hot instant that blacks are stopped more often, arrested more often, charged more often, imprisoned more often. But isn't it equally true that so much of the crime is occurring or originating in predominantly black neighborhoods? Yes. I know that's how it is. But what has the black community done about changing this? They don't make their kids be HOME when it's dark. Hell, the parents aren't home after dark. They don't curtail who they hang with, family or not -- bad guys are bad guys. They don't enforce school and good behavior in school and studying (which you can't do anyway if you're not home until late and hanging around in the 'hood).

This morning at 5:10 a.m., walking the dog around the park, a younger black man on a bicycle came across the parkway, saw me, veered off and cut through the park on an expensive racing bicycle without headlights or tail-lights (which WILL get you stopped by the police in Orlando as it's a traffic infraction). He was wearing all dark clothes, had an expensive black backpack and, weirdly, black saddlebags on the bike. I turned the corner of the park and it wasn't three minutes when there was a loud metallic clang down Robinson and a business's alarm system went off. Three guesses which direction and where he'd have been time-wise when that alarm went off? Yep.

The burglaries in my neighborhood are almost nightly. The shootings in Orlando/Orange County are pretty much nightly, too. And the demographics? Nearly all black, with Hispanics running a not-too-close second. And yet, if that young man this morning had been stopped for a bike without lights while pedaling rapidly away from the alarm, he'd have argued "profiling." If he'd been white, he wouldn't have had any excuse. That's the real double-standard.

Change the culture and you'll change the frequency of Corey-type horror stories.

   Florida Cracker


((The original story: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2015/12/louisiana_police_and_the_likely_killers_may_have_framed_corey_williams_for.html))

The Thought For Today

"Christmas can be celebrated in the school room with pine trees, tinsel and reindeers, but there must be no mention of the man whose birthday is being celebrated. One wonders how a teacher would answer if a student asked why it was called Christmas." - Ronald Reagan

The Thought For Today

"Guilt: the gift that keeps on giving." - Erma Bombeck

Christmas

http://feelslikechristmas.com/christmas-music-mp3s.html

Free Xmas MP3 music downloads. Some old and some new. Anything would be better than the muzak that they play this time of year. So download to your computer/MP3 player and enjoy.

The Thought For Today

"Let me see if I've got this Santa business straight. You say he wears a beard, has no discernible source of income and flies to cities all over the world under cover of darkness? You sure this guy isn't laundering illegal drug money?" - Tom Armstrong

Write & Email Santa Claus a Christmas Letter

This is it, you'ld better get those requests in and don't worry, he WILL answer. Don't forget to leave some cookies and milk or even a slice of pie. He doesn't mind diet cookies too much, but soy milk gives him heartburn. Which makes him REAL angry. So if you don't want reindeer poop in your stockings (or under the tree), I'ld go with the real thing.

The Thought For Today

"Explaining a joke is like dissecting a frog: you may understand it better afterwards, but the frog dies in the process." - Mark Twain

ToyVault - Cthulhu

ToyVault - Cthulhu

It's Weird Friday again. If you or someone/something that you know loves the writings of H.P.Lovecraft, THIS is the place to visit. It's all beautiful, in a disgusting way. Perfect presents for the little ones. And maybe even some big ones too.

Peanuts Charlie Brown with Pathetic Tree Action Figure

Reflecting the TRUE spirit of Xmas. With a little work, you could turn these into ornaments for YOUR tree.

Holiday Gift Guide: Gift Ideas for Movie Lovers - Moviefone

Holiday Gift Guide: Gift Ideas for Movie Lovers - Moviefone

Where to find Xmas presents for the movie fans in your life. There's some pretty cool stuff here.

pepper spray ring, self defense ring, pepper ring defense, stunning pepper spray ring, oc pepper spray ring

Just in time for Xmas. To give as a gift or to use on obnoxious relatives.

Jetpacks for the jetset

That's right you've discovered it here first, on Weird Friday. Check this one out - if your bank account is flush, then you flush yourself, right into the sky on your very own jet pack. This takes water skiing to a whole new level. If they add little parasails, then perhaps snow skiers can reach new heights as well!

The Thought For Today

"They aren't making mirrors the way they used to. The ones I buy now are full of wrinkles." - Phillis Diller

The Thought For Today

"A new government study has found that the average American car weighs five-hundred pounds more than it did ten years ago. However, this is only true if an average American is sitting in the car." - Conan O'Brien

Genuine Geek

"I personally design and make every button on this site, and I have a simple rule: I never sell a button that I wouldn't be happy to have on my own laptop bag. I'm not coming into this as a professional button maker trying to make money, I'm coming into it as a geek who wants to increase the number of funny buttons in the world." Some excellent buttons and $25 or more gets free shipping. He also does custom orders. Recomended.

Comic Book Cartography

Comic fans: Maps, diagrams, cutaways, schematics. If it was in a comic, you can probably find it here.

They Served Man Long Ago

Here are Tess Gerritsen's notes on cannibalism. Although she doesn't mention it, cannibalism can just as easily be a way to kill yourself as save yourself, depending on the situation, as noted here. I don't think we'll be including recipes in this Posting.

Adultitis.org -- The Facts

Adultitis.org -- The Facts Weird Friday it is. Do you feel stressed, anxious and depressed? You might have Adultitis. Now's the time to read up on this horrible disease, before it's too late.

The Thought For Today

"If there is a God, atheism must seem to Him as less of an insult than religion." - Edmond and Jules de Goncourt

Riddles - The Best Riddles and Brain Teasers

Riddles - The Best Riddles and Brain Teasers


How long until YOUR brain melts?

The Thought For Today

"No matter how absurd I make the "Dilbert" comic strip, I can't stay ahead of the real world.A company purchased laptop computers for use while traveling. Fearing they might be stolen, the managers came up with a clever solution: permanently attach the laptops to the employees' desks....!" - Scott Adams

Fairy Doors of Urban Fairies in Ann arbor

Fairy Doors of Urban Fairies in Ann arbor

Welcome to another Weird Friday. Someone has put something interesting in the drinking water of Ann Arbor, MI. People there swear that small, fairy sized, doors have started appearing on the inside and outside of buildings. Oddly enough, they have photos. Beautifully done.

The Thought For Today

"I can't complain, but sometimes I still do." - Joe Walsh

Alien Abduction Policies

But, if you ARE abducted, the good news is:  "Do you toss and turn at night worrying about how your family would survive if evil aliens took you away? Have no fear. You can always purchase an alien abduction insurance policy to cover this risk." At least I THINK that it's good news. The dog tags would be a lot cheaper.

The Thought For Today

"If God had really intended men to fly, he'd have made it easier to get to the airport." - George Winters



((Or through it...))

Location Earth Dog Tags

You know how it goes. Kidnapped and experimented on by aliens. But it's all over now and you're all kicked back with brewskis and the aliens say: "Well, the least we can do is give you a ride home. Which way?" And as you look into their viewscreen, you realize that you have no damned idea. Unless you have these dog tags. Just show them to the aliens and, BLAM, you're on your way back home. And they even come with a money back guarantee, if you don't find your way back home!

The Thought For Today

"Just because something's toxic doesn't mean it's not tasty." — Matthew J. Siske

Nitroplanes

Toys for the big boys and girls.

POOR DEANO!

The Thought For Today

"From ghoulish and ghosties and long leggety beasties and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us!" - Scottish prayer

The Thought For Today

"Ghosts, like ladies, never speak till spoke to. " - Richard Harris Barham

"Rotting my mind on the Internet so that YOU don't have to."

The Thought For Today

"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." - H. P. Lovecraft

The Thought For Today

"'Tis now the very witching time of night, When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out Contagion to this world." - William Shakespeare

Bore Me - the best of your inbox - funny movies, funny pictures, games and jokes

Bore Me - the best of your inbox - funny movies, funny pictures, games and jokes

A small Site but fun. Check out the "Tom Cruise Kills Oprah" video. Gee, I wonder why the studio dropped him?

Rec: Crockpot Black Bean Soup

1/2 pound dry black beans (can substitute canned)
3 cups water
1/2 carrot, chopped
1/2 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 large red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons dry lentils
1/2 (28 oz) can peeled and diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon and 1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup uncooked white rice




Skip this if using canned: In a large pot over
MEDIUM-HIGH heat, place the beans in three
times their volume of water. Bring to a boil, and let
boil 10 minutes. Cover, remove from heat and let
stand 1 hour. Drain, and rinse. In a crockpot,
combine soaked beans and 3/4 quarts fresh water.
Cover, and cook for 3 hours on HIGH (1 hour if using canned).
Stir in carrot, celery, onion, garlic, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper,
lentils, and tomatoes. Season with chili powder,
cumin, oregano, black pepper, red wine vinegar, and
salt. Cook on LOW for 2 to 3 hours. Stir the rice into
the crockpot in the last 20 minutes of cooking. Puree
about half of the soup with a blender or food
processor (if you like a chunkey soup, skip) , then pour
back into the pot before serving.



Serves 3 to 5
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave

Rec: Microwave Potato Soup

2 cups potatoes, cubes peeled and raw
1/2 cup finely chopped onion (we sometimes use the
dehydrated minced onion)
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 slices favorite cheese, thin slices (optional)
bacon or chives (to garnish)


Microwave potatoes, onion and water on HIGH 8 to 10 minutes
until potatoes are tender. Cover and let rest 5 minutes. Mash
potatoes with a fork into large pieces. This does help thicken
the soup. Add remaining ingredients except cheese and cook
on HIGH 5 to 8 minutes to serving temperature. Garnish with
cheese and bacon or chives.


Serves 2 to 4
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave

Rec: Microwave Cheesy Corn Soup

1/3 cup chopped red or green bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 pkg. (8 oz.) light cream cheese, cubed
1 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 cup very hot water
1 can (8 oz.) cream-style corn
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper



Place pepper and onion in microwave casserole. Cover
and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on HIGH until vegetables
soften. Add cream cheese and milk. Heat on MEDIUM
for 3 to 6 minutes, stirring once or twice, until cheese
is melted and mixture is smooth. Dissolve bouillon
granules in hot water. Stir into cream cheese mixture.
Add remaining ingredients and continue to heat on
MEDIUM, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes or
until soup is very hot. Goes very well with garlic bread.


Serves 2 to 4
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave

Rec: Microwave Creamy Asparagus Soup

1 lb fresh green asparagus
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, finely chopped (I use Vidalia sweet)
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon chives
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste



Cut off the tough bottom ends of the asparagus and discard.
Cut off the tips of the asparagus and set into a bowl; set aside
a few of them for garnishing later. Chop the stalks of the
asparagus into small, bite sized pieces and add to the bowl
of asparagus tips. Place butter in a heavy, deep round
microwaveable dish (such as a white Corningware casserole)
and let it melt on HIGH for approximately 1 minute, or until
melted. Add the onion and aspargus tips& spears to the
butter, cover, and cook on HIGH for about 4-5 minutes.
Stir in the flour, mixing well. Next, pour in the broth and
add the chives, stir, recover, and cook on HIGH for 10
minutes, stirring 3 times during this process. Asparagus
should be very tender- if not, return for 2 more minutes,
stir, test again, repeat if needed. Remove from microwave
(wear oven mits) and puree using a wand blender (or use
your regular blender). Add cream, lemon juice, and
seasonings to taste. Get the asparagus tips you set aside
for the garnish and put them into the microwave, in a
microwave safe dish, for just about 2 minutes or so-
just enough to blanch them so they aren't so raw tasting.
Ladle soup into individual bowls and garnish with an
asparagus tip before serving. NOTE: Since microwaves
vary greatly, there may be some variations in the cooking
times depending upon your microwave.



Serves 4 to 6
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave